A Cultural Breath of Fresh Air Past Review
By A student (Elementary And Special Education, Western Washington University) - abroad from 07/16/2012 to 09/21/2012 with
EducatorsAbroad: Traveling - Student Teaching (10-18 Weeks)
I now know so much about the Maori culture. I know how to work with a much less strict curriculum than I'm used to, the freedom was a breath of fresh air but It also made me much more aware of what I was teaching and staying focused. This whole experience was definitely worthwhile, even that's an understatement.
Personal Information
How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 0-2 weeks |
Review Your Program
* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
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* Food: |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
Had to go to the Chiropractor for multiple visits and everything was handled very nicely. Paid a general visit fee and that's it. People were incredibly friendly and helpful, they answered all the questions. |
* Safety: |
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If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
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Finances
* Money: How easily were you able to live on a student's budget?
(1 = not very easy/$200+ on food & personal expenses/week, 2.5 = $100/week, 5 = very easily/minimal cost) |
All about managing priorities... Home stay was only 120 week for me and this included food so I was very fortunate. Weekend and evening entertainment was the expensive aspect of the trip. Seeing the sites had proven to not come cheaply. But it's so worth it! |
* Was housing included in your program cost? | No |
* Was food included in your program cost? | No |
Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | varied but I;'d say about 200 or so a week. |
Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Start saving early rather than later, things are SUPER expensive in NZ and there are a lot of fun tourist things to do that don't come cheap either. |
Language
* Did your program have a foreign language component? | No |
Other Program Information
* Where did you live?
Select all that apply |
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* Who did you live with?
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* Who did you take classes with?
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About how many local friends did you make that you will likely keep in touch with? | 10+ |
A Look Back
* What did you like most about the program? |
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* What could be improved? |
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* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? | A more accurate estimate of costs and expenses. I think I would've benefited from some key resources regarding NZ curriculum that i received after being here a few weeks in. Having this information would have been worthwhile before beginning the internship. |